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Republican Jeff Flake and Democrat Richard Carmona meet for their first debate Wednesday in the race to replace Arizona’s retiring U.S. Senator Jon Kyl. The two men will face off at 5:30 Wednesday evening on the show Arizona Horizon, broadcast locally on Channel 8, Arizona PBS.

The candidates in Arizona’s Congressional District 1 have met one final time before early ballots go out. It is the largest congressional district in the state, stretching from southern part of the state to the Arizona-Utah border.

Researchers at the University of Arizona have won a $1.4 million grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The money will to go to study occupational and environmental health effects of underground mining equipment powered by biodiesel-blend fuels.

There is no one more unique than pianist Thelonious Monk. He was an original who created bebop harmonies and wrote melodies that are angular and still melodic. He played in a style that was minimalist, yet Coltrane said that playing with Monk was like going to a jazz university.

This week, the U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service proposed adding two cacti to the endangered species list. The Acuna cactus (L) and Fickeisen plains cactus (R) could both get federal protection. The photo on the right is actually of 13 Fickeisen cacti specimens.

Jazz drummer Billy Higgins played on over 700 recordings. He worked with Ornette Coleman, Pat Metheny, Dexter Gordon and even some rock artists! His top quality performance matched by his joyful energy and showmanship has inspired many of todays great drummers.

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever was legally drunk when he flipped his vehicle and died on a gravel road in Northern Arizona. The toxicology report came out several weeks after the September 18th crash.

An Arizona lawmaker and former Tempe city councilman has pleaded guilty to fraud and accepting bribes.State Representative Ben Arredondo admitted in court Friday that he took a bribe when he was a Tempe city councilman.

St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix says it’s desperate to refill its warehouses after a recent peanut butter recall. As KJZZ’s Peter O’Dowd reports, the group was already facing a food shortage. PETER O’DOWD: Food donations were down 20 to 30 percent compared to a year ago.

The City of Phoenix is acting to help its hospitals serve the uninsured. From Phoenix, KJZZ's Dennis Lambert has more.DENNIS LAMBERT: Mayor Greg Stanton says the action is needed to help Valley hospitals weather the storm of unreimbursed costs, which at many hospitals have more than doubled over hte last few years.

Harlem pianist Bud Powell was a genius, along with Charlie Parker he created bebop. He also had mental problems that kept him in hospitals for much of his career. Learn more about Bud Powell and hear his amazing chops whether he is ripping through some bebop changes or cruising a blues.

From the KJZZ newsroom, I’m Steve Goldstein. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will be in Arizona today to express her condolences to the family of Nicholas Ivie, the U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed this week just north of the Arizona-Mexico border.

The City of Phoenix will be providing nearly 500 new locations next year to use your credit or debit cards -- in the city’s parking meters. KJZZ’s Al Macias reports.AL MACIAS: The city’s transportation department is asking the city council to approve a plan for hundreds of meters to be installed in the downtown area.

It may be another two weeks before the break in the Central Arizona Project canal is repaired. Authorities discovered the leak early Sunday morning. The canal delivers water from the Colorado River to Phoenix and Tucson.

According to an analysis released Thursday, Phoenix ranks third in the country in number of construction jobs added over the last year. The Associated General Contractors of America analyzes job reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While the Valley just left summer behind a couple weeks ago, weather forecasters are already looking ahead, to what the winter will feel like. KJZZ's Steve Goldstein reports about what is predicted for this winter.

The Maricopa Unified School District is struggling and this election it hopes its fifth attempt to pass an education override will be the charm. The district, about 40 miles south of Phoenix, is asking voters for money to climb out of its budget slump.

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